New URAR Demo

[Sadie]

I can see a property in 10 minutes but I linger a bit longer to max of 30 minutes so the occupant/borrower know they're getting value of my inspection.
Appraisers don't need to inspect the house so thoroughly. I look at the kitchen and bathrooms and you basically know what rating should be given to the house.
The new UAD 3.6 is too much detail for appraisers to use.

One of the lines on the sales grid is cubic feet.

 

[Fernando]

As I am working through the form, I have come to the conclusion that no appraiser who was actively earning a living had any input into the redesign. My problem currently is the division of the comparable grid. It is designed so you can't enter in one comparable all the way at a time. Its a stop and start process. Fill out this little part for comparable 1, fill out the same little part for comparable 2, etc, then on the next page, Enter in some little part for comparable 1, then the same for comparable 2. etc until you have all of the pertinent fields filled out. It is very inefficient.

I came to same conclusion. A real appraiser would not have design such a crazy form. Again it's a data collection form for AI models.

 

[Sadie]

I came to same conclusion. A real appraiser would not have design such a crazy form. Again it's a data collection form for AI models.

And this is a form problem, not a software problem. Once all the bugs are worked out of this, maybe it can be corrected. But F/F just wants us gone, IMO. Until the next market crash, then it will be boo hoo where are all the appraisers?

 

[Essexfenwick]

Appraisers would be lucky to get half of that 140 an hour in many cases.
I get as good a fee as there is around here, which is what C and R is for lender work, but it still needs to be more to keep up with the cost of living. I am not great about rasiing my fees enough either but need to do it at some point wrt the new demands with the format,

Honestly, Plumbing is more difficult and more valuable work than appraising.

 

[Airstream]

Honestly, Plumbing is more difficult and more valuable work than appraising.

I disagree. I have done plumbing. It isn’t that complicated; especially with today’s fittings. As to whether more valuable, that is an opinion you can have. But tell that to people that are splitting up millions in real estate.

 

[Fernando]

Honestly, Plumbing is more difficult and more valuable work than appraising.

It's dirtier. Bad enough going to a stinky house for appraisal and have to shower when I get home.

 

[Airstream]

It's dirtier. Bad enough going to a stinky house for appraisal and have to shower when I get home.

That it is. I’ve been in some really ugly plumbing issues in my day. But that is more in the repair side. The new construction side isn’t that bad.

 

[Fernando]

That it is. I’ve been in some really ugly plumbing issues in my day. But that is more in the repair side. The new construction side isn’t that bad.

Just like appraising. It's wonderful appraising a clean house. Once in awhile, I have to enter a hell hole.

 

[DWiley]

Now you have to learn each program. That takes time. I do agree with you that appraisers are going to have to try multiple versions. But it is going to cost money to do so. At least in the short term.

100%. Each time I try a new program it is necessary to start completely over, because they work so differently. Even the process of starting a new report varies greatly. Setting up a complete template takes significant time. I have been playing around with programs during my free time. The good news is that there is ample time for people to test, as the mandatory use date is still over a year away.

I spoke with a lot of appraisers at Val Expo, and I thought one in particular had an interesting strategy that he shared at a table during one of the breaks. He is committed to keeping his current software and only doing UAD 2.6 reports until he completed testing of what was available for 3.6. He was at the Expo mainly to see demos of what all the software providers were offering. He identified three that he was going to test, in addition to his current software provider. He was going to concentrate on one at a time and allow a month for the testing of each one. He viewed all that as investing in his business. If a certain software was more efficient, then the time saved by that software would, in the long run, more than offset his time invested in the testing. On the other hand, if he selected a software that cost him time on every assignment, that would really add up in the long run.

I also heard some say that they were just going to use whatever their current provider put out because it would likely operate most similar to what they are currently accustomed to.

 

[DWiley]

As I am working through the form, I have come to the conclusion that no appraiser who was actively earning a living had any input into the redesign. My problem currently is the division of the comparable grid. It is designed so you can't enter in one comparable all the way at a time. Its a stop and start process. Fill out this little part for comparable 1, fill out the same little part for comparable 2, etc, then on the next page, Enter in some little part for comparable 1, then the same for comparable 2. etc until you have all of the pertinent fields filled out. It is very inefficient.

Two things -
1. There were active field appraisers involved in the UAD Advisory Group from the very beginning. Those involved were not allowed to discuss work in progress.
2. What you describe about comp entry is entirely dependent on software implementation and has nothing to do with the UAD 3.6 spec itself. Also, keep in mind that you are not working with the final version of the software. I strongly suggest you provide feedback on the software that you are testing.

As I have tested multiple programs I have discovered that sometimes what I think is an issue is actually the result of me not understanding how to run the software and just assuming that it worked a certain way.